1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to hash tables. In particular, this disclosure relates to hash tables with extended width entries for storing more data than a typical base entry in the hash table can store.
2. Related Art
Hash tables are widely used constructs for many different applications in which quick access to desired data is needed. Typically a hash table provides an efficient mechanism for locating the desired data based on a possibly very large key space that is mapped into only a few possible search buckets. For many implementations, hash tables are more efficient than other constructs such as search trees or table lookups, and, as a result, hash tables are used extensively in many different hardware and software applications.
Hash table entry sizes have traditionally been fixed in width to simplify the logical implementation of the hash table. However, hash tables with fixed width entries have limitations in terms of fully supporting newly developed hardware and software functionality. Such fixed width implementations are therefore rigid and difficult to adapt to evolving hardware and software requirements.
A need exists to address the problems noted above and others previously experienced with hash tables.